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[00:00.68] The World Bank said last year that 54 percent of adults in Africa south of the Sahara Desert ranked the issue of paying school costs higher than medical or other costs.

[00:18.21] The aid organization said school fees were the biggest financial worry for 40 percent of people in Uganda.

[00:29.37] In that country, a top government-supported school reportedly costs $700 for a three-month term.

[00:41.32] That is a lot of money in a country where yearly economic activity per person was $864 in 2023.

[00:54.87] World Bank information shows that African countries in the area also have the highest rates of children out of school in the world.

[01:07.35] Parents in Uganda report unpredictable increases in the cost of attending school, or tuition, as a cause of tension.

[01:19.83] Some critics are calling for laws to protect parents from exploitation.

[01:27.54] The Equal Opportunities Commission is a government agency that reports on the issues of inequality and discrimination.

[01:38.42] It released a report in September that called for punishment against government-supported schools that demand fees that are too high.

[01:52.23] It warned that arbitrarily raising fees can force children to drop out of school.

[02:01.80] The Uganda Bureau of Statistics says that children’s attendance in early grades is about 68 percent.

[02:13.75] But the percentage falls to 22 percent for secondary school.

[02:21.19] The main reason given is financial difficulty.

[02:27.83] Uganda has a program of secondary education for all students.

[02:35.00] It was introduced in 2007.

[02:38.99] However, schools are not in good condition.

[02:44.30] The schools usually do not require tuition, but parents must pay for uniforms, textbooks and other costs.

[02:57.58] Private schools are more popular but also more costly.

[03:03.42] Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education Dennis Mugimba said the government is not interested in making rules about prices.

[03:16.70] Mugimba said setting private school fees is “purely administrative and it is adjusted according to the business environment.”

[03:30.25] But he said costs linked to “capital development” should not be the responsibility of parents.